


RateMyProfessor.com

by snakeling



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Alternate Universe, Law Student!Carisi, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Slash, Professor!Barba
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-17
Updated: 2018-02-17
Packaged: 2019-03-19 15:45:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13707585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snakeling/pseuds/snakeling
Summary: In answer to this Tumblr prompt bygreasy-sonny-carisi, because I couldn't resist.*bill nye voice* please, consider the following: barisi meeting at fordham, barba’s one of his profs. and sonny leaves him the most detailed rating on ratemyprofessor one night while he’s drunk.





	RateMyProfessor.com

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to my beta and best friend, [Crazybutsound](https://archiveofourown.org/users/crazybutsound/). <3<3<3

Sonny’s end-of-semester ritual is to log into RateMyProfessor.com and leave a review for each of the professors he finished a course for. He’s never mean, but he strives to be honest for his fellow students.

The ritual is even more meaningful today because it’s the last time. He survived L3 and will graduate in a few weeks. He still needs to pass the Bar, of course, but he’s on his own for that.

He logs in and writes down his review of Karen Hester (knows her material; dictates her notes). He goes through the five professors he had this last semester, keeping the best for last.

Rafael Barba. ADA for Brooklyn. Teacher of a course on Investigative Criminal Procedure. Intelligent and sharp-minded. Sartorial connoisseur. Current star of most of Sonny’s daydreams. To say nothing of his nights.

He searches for the name and clicks on the relevant entry. Sonny takes his time writing a review that’s the appropriate level of enthusiasm without falling into creepy stalker territory, and righteously doesn’t give an answer to the hotness question, because that’s objectification.

Not that he need have bothered, because the pepper on the man’s page is bright red. He reads the reviews others have left and finds himself nodding in agreement: amazing lectures, tough grader.

The last review is different. Not quite coherent and full of typos, as if it was written while drunk. And maybe the commenter was, because not a word is said about Barba’s qualities as a teacher, but the full 350 characters are devoted to the perfection of Barba’s body, with particular emphasis on his ass.

Not quite all 350 characters, because the writer was drunk enough to keep the last five for a signature, utterly defeating the anonymous nature of the reviews. And Sonny can only look, horrified, at his own nickname.

He checks the date and tries to determine if he was the one to leave the review. It’s likely, because it coincides with the night the squad went out to celebrate the unlikely victory of their incompetent ADA and he tried to match Amanda drink for drink, which turned out to be a mistake.

Dear God.

After the initial burst of panic, Sonny tries to tell himself that it’s only a nickname, and a fairly common one at that, so maybe, just maybe, Barba won’t know who left the review. If he even bothers looking himself up on the internet.

It’s fine.

It’s all fine.

* * *

As luck would have it, the day of the graduation ceremony is also the hottest day of the year so far. Sonny is sweating buckets under his polyester graduation gown and his cheeks are starting to match the maroon of the fabric.

He’s sitting with his fellow students, watching as they all go up to receive their hood. His own is already around his head, the weight of the fabric pulling slightly, making it real. He’s still not quite able to believe that he did it, that he’s given the finger to all the naysayers who told him that it would be too much work, that he would give up before the end.

When the ceremony is over, Sonny walks slowly back to his family. Someone calls his name, and he turns to the sound. It’s Barba, ducking between people to join him. Sonny hasn’t seen him since he found out about the review he left, and he hopes his embarrassment isn’t plain on his face.

“Carisi! Congratulations.”

“Thank you, Professor.”

Barba looks particularly good, wearing a gown of his own, all black except for the crimson hood and the purple crow’s-feet on his chest. The fabric looks heavier than the flimsy polyester Sonny’s wearing, and its shine makes Sonny think it might actually be silk. He has to restrain himself from touching Barba.

“Oh please, I’m not your Professor anymore. If you really want to be formal, you can call me Counselor, but I’d rather you just called me Rafael.”

The request short-circuits Sonny’s brain.

“Of course, Rafael. Please call me Sonny,” he says before he can restart his brain and realize it’s maybe not the best idea he’s had.

Barba — Rafael smirks. “Oh, it’ll be my pleasure,” he answers, almost purring. “I imagine you’re going to celebrate with your friends and family tonight, _Sonny_ , but tell me.” His tone is low and intimate and Sonny has to get closer just to hear him in the general dim. “Are you free tomorrow night?”

Sonny takes a deep breath. “I am.”

“There’s this great bar, near the DA’s Office in Manhattan. Forlini’s. You know it?”

Sonny does. He nods, unable to say a word.

“Tomorrow at seven, then. I look forward to discussing your very flattering review on RateMyProfessor, Sonny.”

Rafael doesn’t wait for him to answer, just steps aside and walks away. As he passes him, Sonny feels what is unmistakably a hand stroking his ass, ending in a pinch that contains more fabric than flesh, but is nevertheless very clear in its intent.

Sonny’s so very fucked.


End file.
